Gene Therapy for Mesothelioma

Written by T.Going

Gene Therapy for Mesothelioma

An exciting new treatment that has given hope to mesothelioma victims is called gene therapy. Gene therapy attempts to decipher why proteins within certain cells cause them to be resilient to cancer while some cells do not. A while back it was believed that genes were complete upon birth, and that they couldn’t affect conditions afflicted during life. This however, turned out to not be case. Since then we have learned that smoking, sunlight and certain foods can all affect our DNA and make changes to our genetic code. These new insights provided by these conditions have allowed doctors to view many conditions like malignant mesothelioma in a new light.

There are many factors that contribute to Mesothelioma. Asbestos exposure is primary contributing factor, but genetic mutations in individuals also worsen it. Gene therapy is a revolution in mesothelioma treatment because it replaces cancer-causing genes with genes that are medically constructed to die when exposed to cancerous growth. These ‘suicide genes’ are a possible way to slow and possibly stop rapid replication of cancerous cells. Studies are also starting to begin experimenting with replacing cancer generating genes with genes susceptible to certain drugs. This would allow cancer to be potentially eliminated with few side effects.

Until obesity became epidemic, type 2 diabetes was virtually unheard of in children and teens. It was originally called “adult-onset” because it was mainly seen after middle age. At least 9 million American children are seriously overweight and another 9 million are heavy enough to be at risk, yet studies show that many parents are in denial about their children’s obesity. 16% of U.S. children have weight problems but doctors make weight reduction suggestions to parents about their children in only 1% of visits. There are a number of reasons for this denial and lack of concern: Obese mothers nearly always recognize that they are overweight but only 1 in 5 correctly identified their overweight children. Many doctors are just too busy to become involved in problems not directly related to symptoms child was brought in for. 78% of population of U.S. does not see being overweight as a health problem. Many cultures equate thinness with poverty and starvation; to them a fat child is a strong and healthy child. Many parents believe that child will grow into their weight. A child that is overweight will very likely become an obese adult. Studies show at least 15 conditions causally related to obesity. They include diabetes, heart disease, sleep apnea, hip fractures, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, end-stage renal disease, liver disease, urinary incontinence and several forms of cancer. For many overweight children possibilities of disease in future is not a concern. There is a far more pressing cause of pain for these obese children on a daily basis. This pain is caused by discrimination by their classmates. Other children are much more direct and cruel then most adults when it comes to ridiculing “fat kids” they associate with. A first grader is likely to believe that thinner is better and young children will put these thoughts in to action by excluding their heaver classmate from their team or by calling them names. This ridicule may cause a child to retreat from social interaction or to become a bully, using their weight to intimidate their tormentors. Either course of action only causes child more grief and frustration in long run. Most children are not receptive to traditional restrictive diets. When they are told that they can no longer have foods they crave, such as: white bread, candy, cookies, and ice cream they feel that they are being punished. It makes little difference how much time parent spends trying to convince child it is for their own good. Children will often find access to foods that are being denied to them at home with friends, relatives who don’t believe in diets or by spending their own money to purchase sweets. If child doesn’t have money they may begin to steal foods they crave. Many times when child gains access to forbidden items they will binge. 30% of girls and 16% of boys who were on a diet admitted to binging on foods that had been forbidden to them when they got chance. Now child not only feels punished by parent, they have added guild to emotional mix by defying their parents’ orders or breaking law. This guilt causes stress that may cause child to act out in other more serious ways.